Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) (86 page)

Sensuality had nothing to do with how I looked or what I did, and everything to do with what I had allowed to be awakened. A dormant part of me that had been tamped down by years of low self-esteem had surfaced at a time when I needed it the most.

In the past, I never would have considered myself alluring. I was clumsy and awkward. But when I danced with Raul, I was neither of those things. I was desire and rhythm. Now that I knew this part of myself, I felt more confident that I wouldn’t be tripping and spilling all of the time.

However, there was one more thing that I needed to do.

I flipped over to my e-mail and read over the last one that Blue had sent me. Once more I felt anger rise up in me. This time, though, I didn’t feel a need to forgive him. I felt a need to stand up for myself and what I deserved.

If I had superpowers I could have melted the monitor with the intensity of my gaze. But I didn’t have superpowers. What I had was my power. I was no longer going to let a man manipulate my confidence, nor was I going to put my life on hold.

My fingers flew across the keyboard without hesitation.

Blue,

You had your chance.

Samantha

After I hit send and the e-mail disappeared, I felt a thrill. It felt good to stand up for myself. It felt good to put Blue in his place. I was no longer pleading for his attention and waiting for a crumb to fall my way. In my opinion, if he wanted to be with me, he would be climbing the walls to get to me, not making excuses. I was no longer willing to wait. He had the opportunity to meet me—to celebrate with me—and he’d turned it down. That was his mistake, not mine. I wasn’t going to make the mistake of giving him another chance.

I didn’t want to hide behind my blog anymore. It was time for me to get out there and find my true love. If it meant that I had to give up on the men I’d been waiting so long for, then that was what I would do.

Whatever it took, I was determined that the next item on my bucket list—to fall in love—would get checked off. Maybe the psychic hadn’t been right. I had known from the start that she was likely a fraud. But that didn’t mean that I couldn’t fulfill the prophecy she’d made. Just because she had imagined it all in the hope of getting a good tip, that didn’t mean that it couldn’t still come true.

It was up to me to find that mysterious lover that was out there waiting for me to wake up and look for him. I wasn’t going to put off romance any longer.

It was time that I embraced my sensuality and went for what I really wanted.

Single Wide Female: The Bucket List

#24 Fall in Love

By

Lillianna Blake

Copyright © 2015 Lillianna Blake

Cover design by
Beetiful Book Covers

All rights reserved.

LilliannaBlake.com

Chapter 1

Of course I had the cart with the squeaky wheel. I never failed to pick the cart with the squeaky wheel. If only I could use my intuitive powers for good, rather than rusty carts, I might have found my true love by now. Instead, I was pushing a noisy cart around the grocery store shopping for a meal for one.

Ever since I’d decided that the next item I would check off my bucket list was to find true love, I had been trying.

I’d attended two social mixers where I was the only one not eligible for senior discounts. I got active at the park, which led to my kite getting stuck in a tree and a very married man helping me get it down. I even went to a baseball game, hoping to gain the attention of a single guy who was a sports fan. Instead, I gained the attention of the hot dog vendor and really went over my calorie limit for the day.

So far the dating idea had been a bust. It wasn’t as if it had been successful in the past. I wasn’t sure why I expected things to be different. I wanted more than most men were interested in offering, I guess. I wanted a commitment—a real relationship, not just a fling.

As I paused in front of the meat section, I considered my options. I could go with lean chicken or a nice thick steak. If only choosing a man were as easy as choosing a hunk of beef. I smiled at my analogy.

“Hi.”

For just a second I thought the steak was talking to me. Then I looked up and saw a man standing nervously beside me.

“Hi. Sorry.” I slid my noisy cart out of his way.

“I don’t think you remember me.” He laughed.

I looked at him again. “Should I?”

“Well, we shared a dance.” He blushed. “In aisle five.”

All of a sudden I knew exactly who he was—the man I’d salsa danced with on aisle five. I had never even gotten his name.

“Oh, I remember!” I smiled. “Sorry about that. I was having a wild day.”

“Oh, please, don’t apologize. I haven’t been able to get that out of my head since it happened. It was just so random—and amazing. I was just shopping for chips and the next thing I knew I was dancing with this stunning woman.”

I laughed and tried not to choke on my own spit. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Ever since that day I’ve been hoping that I might run into you again. I know that sounds weird and stalkerish, but I just felt a connection there.” He cringed. “It’s okay if you’re not interested.”

Was I getting asked out in the meat department?

I perked up very quickly. “Yes, I’m interested.”

He was tall and thin—a bit too wiry for my taste—but if I’d learned anything during my journey through my bucket list, it was that a person was not always what they looked like. This man before me in his plaid button-down shirt might have looked like he had just stepped off the cover of Geek Magazine, but that had nothing to do with who he was inside.

“Oh wow, that’s so great. I really didn’t think you’d be interested. So maybe we could go out some time?”

“I’d love that.”

“To lunch maybe? Tomorrow?” He was grinning so widely that I could count most of his teeth.

“Perfect. Would you like to give me your number—and maybe your name?”

“Oh, sorry.” He laughed again. “It’s Greg.”

He gave me his number and then waved awkwardly at me as he walked away.

I couldn’t help but smile as he nearly knocked over a stack of canned soup. I had no doubt that Greg and I were going to have a lot in common. I was excited to have my first official date since I’d started my hunt for true love.

When I arrived home, I threw my groceries into the fridge and headed straight for my computer. I was excited to blog about what had happened at the grocery store. Just when I was beginning to lose hope, things had taken a turn for the positive.

I mentioned in the blog post that I was ready to really put myself out there, that I couldn’t wait to find out where I’d end up.

Not long after I’d published my update, I received a new e-mail. I saw that it was from Blue. Things had been barely cordial between us lately.

Samantha,

I know we haven’t talked much lately. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make things up to you. Maybe you could give me some ideas?

Blue

I smiled as I read his e-mail. I wished I could be bold enough to tell him that if he wanted to make things up to me, he needed to meet me somewhere right that second. But I wasn’t bold enough. I didn’t want to get stood up again.

Blue,

I’m sorry. I was just being sensitive. You don’t have to make anything up to me. I’m ready to get out there and play the field. This is the start of a new adventure for me.

Samantha

I felt that by pointing out that I was moving on, he’d know that he was off the hook. So it surprised me when he e-mailed back within minutes.

Samantha,

I’m glad you met someone new. I think you should explore your options. But I hope that I can be part of the field that you’re playing in.

Blue

I sighed as I read over the e-mail. I wanted so much to believe him. But it seemed to me that he wasn’t being honest. I’d let him know many times that I was very interested. He had yet to follow through on meeting me. I’d just made it clear that I could survive without him, and it seemed he was trying to give me hope again.

In the past, Blue’s words had always made everything clear to me. Now I just felt more and more confused with each e-mail that he sent.

Chapter 2

The next morning I woke up excited about my date with Greg. I sorted through my closet to find the right thing to wear. Since it was a lunch date, I didn’t want it to be too dressy, but I also didn’t want to go in jeans and a t-shirt.

“If I’m going to do this falling in love thing, I have to put the effort in.”

I selected a summer dress. I hung it on the outside of my closet door.

As I headed into the kitchen to get some breakfast, there was a knock on the door.

“Sammy, are you decent?”

I smiled at Max’s voice. “Come on in, Max—but know that I’m in my pajamas.” I laughed.

Max used his key to open the door and stepped inside. “Sorry to stop by so early. I hope I’m not interrupting your writing.”

“No, not at all. Want some cereal?”

“No, thanks.” He sat down at the breakfast bar and watched me as I prepared breakfast. “What are you up to today?”

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” I refused to look in his direction.

“What does that mean?” He laughed.

“I have some writing to do. Then I’m going to go out to lunch.”

“Alone?”

Something in the tone of his voice made me turn to look at him. His expression was much more tense than I’d expected.

“No, not alone.”

“With a friend?” He stood up from the breakfast bar and then began pacing.

I was used to Max roaming. He wasn’t much for sitting still. But something still seemed off.

“Well, sort of.”

Max paused in front of my open bedroom door. He could see the dress hanging on my closet door.

“You’re going on a date! That’s a date dress!” He spun around and looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a first date. I figured I’d see how it went.”

“That’s great, Sammy. I’m happy for you. Where did you meet him?”

I sat down at the breakfast bar. He sat down beside me.

“At the grocery store.”

“That’s funny.” He grinned. “Seriously, is he a friend of a friend or something?”

“No. I just met him. Actually I met him a little while ago, but I bumped into him again today.”

“So you met this guy in a grocery store and now you’re going to lunch with him?” Max shook his head. “What about getting to know him a little first?”

“Isn’t that the whole point of going out to lunch?”

“Well, yeah, but I mean, a few phone calls back and forth would be good. Do you know where he lives? What he does for a living? How many cats he has?”

“No, no, and no. I also don’t know his social security number or the time of his birth. Max, I’m not interviewing him, I’m getting to know him. He’s cute and funny. I like him. I want to see where it goes.”

“Alright.” He sighed. “I guess.”

“I wasn’t asking for permission, you know. You go on dates all the time. I don’t question you about the details of why you are going out with someone.”

“I know.”

“Do you know everything about the women you date before you take them out?”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?” I shook my head. “It’s not as if I’m moving in with the guy. We’re having lunch.”

“But you met in a grocery store.” Max’s eyes widened as if that explained his entire point of view.

“Max, I’m not talking about it any more. I’m really excited to get to know this man. You’re a grump.”

Max sighed. He reached out and patted the back of my hand.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just worry about you.”

“Nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself.” I finished my cereal and carried the bowl to the sink. “What do you think of the dress?”

“I think it’s beautiful.” Max stood up as well. “I guess I better head out. Good luck with your date. If you run into any trouble, call me.”

“I will.” I smiled at him. “Thanks, Max.” I hugged him close. “You are the best best friend a girl could ever have.”

“Good to know.” He kissed my cheek.

After Max left I sat down at my computer. I wanted to get a little writing in before going out on the date.

As much as I wanted to be successful, the more I tried to focus on the chapter I was working on, the less I was able to concentrate. My mind kept drifting back to Greg. What if Max was right? Was I taking too big a risk by accepting the attention of a random man I’d met? I didn’t think it was unreasonable. But then I knew absolutely nothing about Greg. He could be a serial killer. Or a polygamist.

Finally, I turned my computer off.

Max had really gotten under my skin. I didn’t want to let his concerns ruin my date with Greg.

I turned on some music and dressed for the date. As I danced around in my summer dress, I thought about the fact that today could be it. Today could be the day that I had a first date with the man I would spend the rest of my life with. That was a pretty powerful thing to think about. Right now Greg was just the guy I met at the grocery store, but in the future he might be the father of my children.

“Slow down, Sammy!” I laughed at my own reflection in the mirror. “It’s just lunch.”

Chapter 3

Over the phone, Greg suggested a restaurant in the middle of the city. It had a great reputation. When I reached it, I realized that having a great reputation might be a problem. The parking lot was packed.

I searched for a place to park. Was I going to miss my date because I had nowhere to park? I really didn’t want to have to walk three blocks.

Just when I was ready to give up, I spotted Greg, standing in an empty parking spot. He smiled and waved at me. Then he stepped out of the way. I had to admit that I was impressed. Once I’d parked he opened my door for me.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was going to be this crowded.”

“That’s fine. Thanks for saving me a spot.”

“It wasn’t easy.” He laughed. “There are some hungry people in this city.”

Once we’d ordered our food I decided to dig into getting to know Greg. I didn’t feel any initial attraction to him, but I knew that for me that could come later. I was much more attracted to personality than I was to a person’s looks.